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Move comes after Rubio’s efforts to secure more forceful action from Obama Administration

Jun222012

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio today commended the U.S. State Department for its decision to suspend Nicaragua’s fiscal transparency waiver as a result of Daniel Ortega’s government’s failure to meet certain minimum fiscal transparency standards. The move stems from earlier negotiations involving Rubio to secure the administration’s commitment to condemn and take actions against Ortega’s assault on democracy in Nicaragua.

“Daniel Ortega is a thug who illegally stood for re-election and then abused his power to secure a victory,” said Rubio. “This decision adds to the 2008 cancellation of Millennium Challenge Corporation aid projects as a result of the Sandinistas’ manipulation of municipal elections and is another example of how Ortega’s misrule continues to negatively impact the security and prosperity of the Nicaraguan people and that of their neighbors.

“I urge the Administration to take a hard look at the Nicaraguan government’s compliance with a similar waiver given to ensure American investors receive fair compensation for the expropriations that took place during Ortega’s rule in the 1980s,” added Rubio. “In addition, other Central American nations should recognize they have a clear stake in demanding greater transparency from the Nicaraguan government for the sake of peace and security in the region.”

This decision effectively reduces U.S. cooperation with the Central American nation and is consistent with the provisions of S.RES.344, a Senate resolution authored by Senators Rubio and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) earlier this year.